The Sierra Family Gets Baptized!

The Sierras Family.  I baptized Kevin behind me.

My best friends Areli and Aileen

The Houston Temple

So this week the Sierras told us that they wouldn’t be here on their baptism date so they wanted to be baptized on the 18th instead.  So we had to kick it into overdrive to get them ready.  We decided to show them that getting baptized is how we join Christ’s team.   And they love soccer so we could relate it perfectly!  We did a few days of "trainings" where we had little 5-10 minute lessons and had them rotate between three stations.  We did meet the coach (living prophet), equipment (tithing), speed training (ten commandments as fast as possible with the hand signs), rule book (Book of Mormon), team medic (Word of Wisdom), practice (repentance), and a few others.  It was super fun and they loved it!  We found out it is super easy to have a primary teacher come and prepare a little lesson for the kids and that’s what we did all week long with them.

Then on Saturday we had "tryouts" (the baptism interviews).  And later that night there was a ward party for Mother’s Day.  Oh my, it was so Hispanic!  The room was decorated with hand-drawn flowers and frogs.  All the signs said happy Mother’s Day in English with half of them misspelled.  They had classic Mexican music blasting, like the kind that is on a Mexican radio station.  And then they served just rice and chicken and tortillas with pink lemonade to drink.  Hispanics love their pink lemonade.  But afterwards, they cleaned up the tables and had a dance party with crazy lights and stuff.  It was so funny to see all the old people dancing. All of us missionaries decided that if we marry a Hispanic, our wedding could be like that, haha.  But the Sierras loved it and a bunch of other investigators came too.

Then Sunday they all came to church and Sunday night we had the baptism. It was so funny because we forgot to turn the water off so it was super high. With Kenneth, the 8 year old, the water was up to his shoulders!  But all 5 got baptized and confirmed and I was able to baptize Kevin, the 10 year old.  And the best part was Maira the mom said the opening prayer and Jose the dad, who we have barely taught, said the closing prayer.  It was super good and during the closing prayer he was crying about his kids.  We hope it helps him want to change because he doesn’t really have the best relationship with his wife.  We talked to the wife by herself and she said they will probably get their residency and be able to get married in a couple months, but she doesn’t know if she wants to.  The only thing keeping her with him is her 5 kids, so we are working with that.  But the kids were so excited and they all have their own scriptures they read and they love primary so they will be solid.

Twas a good week,

Elder Lund